Welcome to our jockey profile of Sam Twiston-Davies:
Contents
Key Stats
Name – Sam Twiston-Davies
Date of Birth – 15 October 1992
Birthplace – Naunton, Gloucestershire
Riding Weight – 10 stone
Big Wins: Queen Mother Champion Chase, Foxhunter Chase, Coral Cup, Baring Bingham Novices’ Chase, Ascot Chase, Melling Chase, Scottish Grand National, Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Tingle Creek Chase, Aintree Hurdle and many other top-class National Hunt races.
Jockey Profile
Sam is the son of two-time Grand National-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.
His mother also rode under rules and was an accomplished rider so a career in racing was always a strong possibility.
He had his first ride under rules at Ludlow Racecourse in January 2009 and was riding his first Cheltenham Festival winner the following year.
Sam Twiston-Davies – Key Jockey Stats
Sam won the Conditional Jockeys’ Championship in 2010-11 and recorded his first century in 2013-14. This caught the attention of multiple Champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls who appointed Twiston-Davies as his number one rider in April 2014.
They formed a successful partnership until May 2018 when the jockey announced a surprise decision to become a freelance, despite having ridden 137 the previous year.
His most prolific season was 2014-15 with 145 winners and he has since gone on to pass the notable milestone of 1000 career winners.
Sam Twiston-Davies – Big Race Wins
Sam’s first Cheltenham Festival success came aboard popular chaser Baby Run in the 2010 Foxhunter Chase.
He also rode in the Aintree Grand National for the first time that year and finished fifth on Hello Bud, a horse that he rode to victory in the Becher Chase over the National fences.
In 2013 he rode The New One to victory in the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle.
Twiston-Davies rode his first Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner on Dodging Bullets in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2015, completing a double on the day with Aux Ptits Soins in the Coral Cup.
The following year he was in double form on the opening day with Diego Du Chemil (Fred Winter) and Ballyandy (Champion Bumper). He enjoyed his third winner of the week aboard Solar Impulse in the Grand Annual Chase.
Another great favourite for Twiston-Davies is Vicente, a horse he rode to successive victories in the Scottish Grand National in 2017 and 2018. He has also had considerable success on the Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux, winning the 2019 King George VI Chase and the 2021 Punchestown Gold Cup.
Sam Twiston-Davies – Most Famous Victories
The Champion Chase victory of Dodging Bullets is certainly among the highlights of Sam’s career. He had already ridden the horse to two Grade 1 victories at Sandown and Ascot but Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy were preferred in the betting. With the former being pulled up and Sire De Grugy not jumping or travelling with his normal fluency, Twiston-Davies was able to track the front-running Special Tiara until kicking clear on the run-in.
The New One was a superstar for the Twiston-Davies stable, winning 17 of his 36 races and earning over £1 million in prize money. He announced himself among the top rank of hurdlers when winning at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013. He powered clear of fancied Irish-trained runners Rule The World and Pont Alexandre.
Sam Twiston-Davies Rides
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Summary
Although no longer employed as the number one for Paul Nicholls, Twiston-Davies retains links with the yard.
This was perfectly illustrated by his 2021 Punchestown Gold Cup win and he remains one of the top jockeys, riding around 100 winners a year.
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